Since Norman Powell arrived in Toronto two drafts ago, DeMar DeRozan has been able to draw parallels between himself and his younger teammate. They are both Californians, and both came to the NBA with league-ready athleticism and little else.

Never mind the differences: DeRozan was picked ninth in the 2009 draft as a freshman, Powell was picked 46th as a senior. DeRozan had scouts drooling over him since he was in high school, while Powell was an under-the-radar prospect. DeRozan started for the Raptors on day one, while Powell earned a guaranteed contract only after a good performance in the 2015 Summer League, and even then was expected to spend most of his rookie season in the D-League, only for DeMarre Carroll’s knee injury and his solid two-way play to intervene and make him a key part of last year's team. Despite all of that, Powell’s rotation status is like California’s famous burger chain: in and out. DeRozan has never had to deal with that.